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Nothing can describe A_liFe [DIVIDED] more aptly than what can be found written on their homepage: Life itself doesn`t generally work as mathematics. There are no binomial formulas, no Pythagoras` theorem, no rules for isosceles triangles which computed results are obectively revisable. Life is rather like music: unpredictable, complex, depending on moods, short: Life sounds like A_liFe [DivideD]. That`s the reason for this programmatic band name. That`s the reason for a stylistic spectrum that can`t be reduced to a specific formula. To delve deeper into the question, gamer-FM spoke with the band that has been highly praised by many big rock and metal magazines, and conducted a little interview, which can be found below. In addition we will be bringing you their current album, “Far,” this afternoon at 10:00pm at De Profundis. Of course there will be news about the scene this afternoon, as usual. First of all, hello and thank you so much for taking the time for a short interview with gamer-FM. Could you introduce yourselves real quick? Jürgen: Sure, there’s not much to say about me. Jürgen Plangger, 27-years-old, chain smoker and singer of the band A_liFe [DIVIDED]. I myself first noticed you during your tour with Oomph!, so directly to a question about the recent tour. How was your experience with the guys from Oomph! and Samsas Traum backstage? Are there any funny anecdotes to report? Jürgen: Well, they were all pretty damn nice. Sometimes almost embarrassingly nice. The high point was when the drummer from Oomph! helped with the setting up. The tour was a great experience for us. It was our first real tour, and then playing in such big venues in front of such an enthusiastic crowd was amazing! The backstage anecdotes I’ll keep to myself. What band would you like to go on your next tour with? Jürgen: There are a few that we’d like to go on tour with. Personally I’d most like to go on tour with 30 Seconds to Mars. The shitty part is that they’ll probably never come to Europe. Our drummer worships Devin Townsend’s drummer. Stylistically that would also be really fitting. Well, unfortunately we can’t choose, but it would be cool to go with Oomph! again. Tobi: Out of all the German rock bands, Rammstein would obviously be the high point. Even though they would probably completely blow us out of the water. Other than that I think we’re open and ready for anything. Since I found your appearance in Cologne to be very compelling, I looked around the internet for information about you. But here’s a few “standard questions” for the readers: When and how did you get to know each other? Jürgen: About 4 years ago we were recruited together from various bands. The scene is really small, and so everyone knows everyone else. Once our drummer Korl along with our guitarist Tony and programmer Erik had looked for new people and we had produced the first demos together we were all really enthusiastic. And since then we’ve been moving through countries. Did you have a concept for the band about where you wanted to go musically from the beginning? Or did it crystallize more and more through experimentation? Jürgen: Neither. Right from the first day the typical sound came out, which is most of all thanks to our open-minded programming genie, Erik. It was clear from the outset that we didn’t want to limit our sound. It might sound like a worn-out phrase, but with us it’s pretty routine. Anything from completely electronic ballads to industrial songs is possible. Our focus is more on the sings, not on the genre. During my search on the internet I stumbled across old interviews in which I read that you’re passionate gamers. Which games are the “business of the day” for you? Jürgen: At the very top there’s obviously Pro Evolution Soccer (even though our drummer always swears by FIFA). I can remember wonderful evenings at our manager’s house in Hamburg when he would always be about to scream whenever we played. What’s the appeal of computer games for you? Mike: It depends on the game. When I’m just playing a shooting game, for example, I enjoy the graphics and the cool effects, and I’m satisfied if I’m on edge during the game. On the other hand I play games like Resident Evil which requires more. Then everything from story, to graphics, to characters fit into the game, everything counts. I get absorbed in it! From the first to the last minute. The best in my opinion are the games that involve different solutions. And you keep wanting to take it off the shelf, even after you’ve played through it a few times. Almost like a good book! What do you think of players who earn money with their hobby? Mike: If you can, do it!!! To be honest, I’ve read about these pros in Japan who fill entire stadiums and almost reach super-star status! I would never have dreamed of such a trend when I was sitting in front of my Atari C64… Recently the number of house searches on illegal file sharers has risen drastically. Punishment for it has reached 5 years. What do you think of the control and above all, about the sentences given? Jürgen: I know too little about the individual cases. The bottom line is that it’s about theft. I think that such punishments make people aware. Most people have no sense of injustice when they’re downloading songs or movies. However I don’t believe that punishments like that get things moving. Ultimately it’s the course of time, and if you aren’t making money with record sales anymore you have to find another way to make money with your music. For example, I don’t understand why label, contract, and booking agencies always act separately from one another. Having everything under one roof would make the whole thing simpler and significantly more economical. Well, either the system is already too firmly set, or there are good reasons for it. If there are, I would be glad if someone could tell them to me. What do you think of the discussions surrounding the indexing of computer games that allegedly glorify violence? In your opinion what are the criteria speaking for the ban on certain games? Or are you generally against the drastic measures by BPjM [National Testing Center for Youth Endangering Media]? Jürgen: Generally I think that games with explicit violence have an influence on the player. Of course age and sensitivity plays a large role. But I think that they can regulate it with age restrictions, and not every game has to be put on the index. The keywords “internet” and “music” often bring the term “pirating” into mind. What do you think of the spreading of music over so-called p2p programs? Do you see it as a chance for unknown bands to raise their level of recognition, or do you see it the other way, like most of the record companies? Jürgen: To be honest, big professional bands themselves earn very little to nothing from CD sales, you have to be playing in the big leagues. That’s why it’s more the industry’s problem than the bands’. Of course it looks different for newcomer bands. In the last years a lot fewer bands were being signed under contract, simply because there’s not as much money available for record companies. And nowadays there’s no construction work to speak of. On the other hand the internet is obviously a good platform for a newcomer band to introduce themselves to a wide public. But if you as a group have aspirations to actually make music professionally, then it’s often not enough, you simply need support from the usual mechanisms like labels and contracts. Not just because of the financial payment, but above all for the manpower, infrastructure, and logistics. What do you guess the chances are for non-mainstream music to establish itself in Germany? Jürgen: Non-mainstream stuff has it really tough in Germany right now. Aside from the Electro-sector, Germans have never been successful at setting trends. But in my opinion it’s not due to a lack of creative potential. We have a really good underground and many really good bands. Unfortunately it’s not supported by the industry. I have the impression that a band has to come out of America or England and come out with a sound, and then the German Bands will put out a similar sound. I don’t know where the problem lies. Music is becoming increasingly seen as an economical factor, which should be the case to a certain extent, but they shouldn’t just measure art (if it even is art) as a financial risk. Just a few general questions: what bands do you like personally? Jürgen: That differs with all of is. The foundation for us all is definitely metal from the 80’s and 90’s, so things like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Mötley Crüe, and so on. Meanwhile I like things like Depeche Mode and Muse, while Mike is a big AC/DC and Audioslave fan, Tony is into Tori Amos, our bassist Tobi is into Billy Talents and Soilwork, and our drummer Korl is into hard stuff like Mnemic and Co. Which band or performer inspired you to make music? Jürgen: For me it was definitely Metallica. I still know how I learned my first riffs on the guitar from the black album. And for a good finish: in your opinion, what album should your CD shelf not be without? Jürgen: Oh, there’s too many Tobi: That’s true. But I would say, Bon Jovi – New Jersey. |